Field Thistle (xiao ji)

Herba Cephalanoploris

Properties: The herb is sweet and bitter in flavour, cool in nature, acts on the heart and liver channels. Acting on blood in the heart and liver is for clearing heat from blood to stop bleeding. Field thistle is similar to and weaker than Japanese thistle in effects. With the effect of inducing diuresis, field thistle is good at treating hematuria. Being bitter and cool for clearing toxins and alleviating swelling, the herb can be used to treat skin and external diseases.

Effects: Clearing heat from blood to stop bleeding, and toxins to alleviating swelling.

Indications:

1. The  herb is often used in combination with scutellaria root, Japanese thistle, cogongrass rhizome, capejasmine and other herbs for clearing heat from blood to stop bleeding, to treat haematemesis, apostaxis, metrorrhagia and metrostaxis, and other kinds of bleeding due to blood-heat; and with fiveleaf akebia, talc, lophatherum capejasmine and other medicines for inducing diuresis to treat stranguria and clearing heat from blood to stop bleeding, such as Xiaoji Yinzi, to treat stranguria with blood and hematuria.

2. To treat skin and external diseases due to toxic heat, the fresh herb can be orally taken, or externally applied or used in combination with other herbs for clearing heat and toxins.

Dosage and Administration: 10-15g; 30-60g for fresh herb.

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